# What would a full battery of psychological testing consist of?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-full-battery-of-psychological-testing-consist-of/143375
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 17, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-full-battery-of-psychological-testing-consist-of/143375 "2002-12-17T18:47:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-full-battery-of-psychological-testing-consist-of/143375/1 "2002-12-17T18:47:13Z")
I have heard this term recently. What would such a sereis of tests entail? What would they show? How many are their? etc. etc.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-full-battery-of-psychological-testing-consist-of/143375/2 "2002-12-17T23:59:57Z")
The tests will vary according to the purpose of the testing. Thus, a neuropsychological battery will focus on neurological issues.
A basic psychological battery includes:
1. A clinical interview and other history-gathering.
(2. Some measure of mental status [e.g., Mini-Mental Status Exam]).
2. A cognitive test of ability (e.g., the WAIS-III) or achievement (e.g., the Woodcock-Johnson).
3. A personality measure (e.g., the MMPI-2).
(5. Specific brief screens [e.g., Beck Depression Inventory-2, a traumatic events scale, a malingering screen, etc.).
But as I say, it can vary.
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### Author:  [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-full-battery-of-psychological-testing-consist-of/143375/3 "2002-12-18T00:25:16Z")
They used to commonly use the Rorshach (sp?) test also, but that’s fallen mostly away.
Those questions on the MMPI-2 are pretty dated, too.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-full-battery-of-psychological-testing-consist-of/143375/4 "2002-12-18T18:54:03Z")
Rorschach is used more in circumstances where there’s more time, or where the more standardized tests aren’t helpful these days.
The MMPI was revised to the MMPI-2. The 2 generally seems up to date to me. However, I prefer the PAI (Personality Assessmrnt Inventory), which is shorter and seems (in my clinical experience) less likely to be invalid when the person has a trauma history.